awesome, fire show

i wonder why the dicks picks release has such a flaw in their catalogue of this show though? seems like a silly mistake? (or i could only hope it is!) not that it matters much really.... I mean the musics here. i guess as someone who "likes to know" what im listening to, this does make this show a little questionable

but AGAIN,

FIIIIIIRE SHOW. I LOVE IT. NO WEIRD CATALOGUING CAN TAKE AWAY FROM THAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This show was actually on the 3rd floor of the Labor Temple, which unfortunately no longer exists. It's now the parking lot of the Aveda Institute. GD was the 1st show (2/2/69) and it was -25 degrees.

The GD returned in April for this 4/27 show, with Bobby Lyle Quintet

Additional information, including poster images and a photo of Jerry, below. Thanks to Jeanne Andersen for site.
http://twincitiesmusichighlights.net/venues/labor-temple/

Amazing. As good now as the first time I heard it, maybe better. Pigpen proves what a great frontman is all about - a secret weapon, used for maximum potency and quality, not quantity....not some ubiquitous dork prancing around and whining for 90 minutes in spandex (why are so many British bands from this era obsessed with that sort?)

With all due respect to Mind Wondrin, Lovelight was indeed a sandwich. If you would listen to it, the first take does not end as in the traditional ending of the song, but rather a Jerry jam into Me And My Uncle. And BTW, I was there,, it was my second show, following on the heels of the bands show on 2.2.69, which was the grand opening of the Labor Temple, Minneapolis' answer to The Fillmore.

One of the best 4/69 shows, almost as good as 4/13 & 4/17. Apparently they followed Bobby Lyle Quintet, and one or more local bands. After getting there a little late they set up and played just one set including a 20min Lovelight...and then a 15min one! They weren't picky in early 69 about things like that - just letting it flow. it takes a lot though, to stand out, when they played these sequences night after night. So many of the shows are nearly identical.

Hot Lovelights are a dime a dozen in '69, yet here's one unlike the std fare - listen and see if you can see why. There's a great segue into Me & My Uncle, though Phil gets a little tenuous then lost. This may be the version of Sitting On Top of the World you want - there are better performances, but not '69 recordings. Dark Star is the point of the show in Spring 69 and this one covers as much ground as two other 69s. The rest is typical/average but a second Lovelight must have really confused the casual punters - "Hey wait a minute," said the pie-eyed, "did they play this already or have I jumped to an alternate universe?" It's more of a repeat than a sandwich (the two together are 36min of Lovelight) but Morning Dew is interesting because Jer would put himself into a musical corner just to ladder and arpeggio his way out.

Overall = B/4 Stars

Highlights:
Lovelight - not exactly the same as other Spring 69s
Dark Star - due to the amount of terrain covered

SOURCES: There's this source or Dick's Picks #26.

Well, they're both hot ones anyway. Apart from an indifferent Sitting On Top, this is wonderful indeed.

I can't recommend DP 26 highly enough. I heartily encourage anyone who has not already bought it to do so. You will not be disappointed. Parts of it are even better than Live Dead.

This one is ferocious, relentless. I have a pretty good cassette, and TC is quite audible throughout, which he isn't always from this era (Live Dead being a perfect example). Also, there's some serious primal Dead going on during Lovelight, and the segues into M&MU and then SOTOTW are classic.

I think this is the better of the 2 shows featured on DP 26. Great DS>SS>11. this dark star gives 4/22 a run for its money; some real intense moments and some great phil/jer interaction. Excellent Eleven, the lovelight sandwich and Sitting' on Top of the World are also real nice.

p.s. I hate how on a lot of official releases (and some shows on the IA) they include the B-major jam as part of St. Stephen. William Tell is part of SS, the B-major sequence IS NOT.

Hey Magicastle - maybe this jogs your memory. It's a photo I found from inside Aveda. Looks like the 4th floor too, from the shape of the windows.

http://www.lucidhair.net/wp-content/uploads/inspiration_congress8_1.jpeg

This was always one of my favorite tapes - and i do mean "tapes!"

(grin)

add 4/23/69 for some bright, sunny Spring tunes, drivin' and blarin'...

mike

If anyone cares, the 'Labor Temple' is on the 4th floor of (what is now) the Aveda beauty school on 4th & Central in Minneapolis, not to far from the U of M. Apparently, this was one REALLY HIP place to see a show back in the 60's... I think the Dead may have been the first band to play there (I may be wrong), But anyway, that would probably explain the WONDERFUL vibe of this show! I wonder if Aveda would let us up there, I'm sure the big room/theatre is still there....

About 8:30 into this beautiful Dark Star, I heard Mickey making bird chirping sounds! Weird, I thought, I've never heard that in a 69 concert! But then I realized that the chirping might be coming from outside my window, so I turned down the volume. And lo and behold, for the next 5 minutes I was chirping back and forth with this bird, me with my Dark Star (yeah, it's mine), her with her chirp chirp. I'd play it loud for a few seconds then cut it, and this bird would chirp for a few seconds then stop. Now if getting a bird to sing with you for 5 min isn't proof there's some premordial shit behind this music, nothing is.